Two women firefighters — one black, one white — discovered racist graffiti scrawled on the door of female quarters at Intercontinental Airport’s Fire Station 54 this morning, adding more heat to an already tense racial atmosphere within the city’s fire department. The discovery came just weeks after City Council earmarked $60,000 for firefighter sensitivity training after a noose-like knot was found in the locker of a veteran departmental captain. Executive Assistant Chief Rick Flanagan said today’s incident was discovered as the women reported for work about 6:30 a.m. “This is so distasteful, so painful, so despicable,” Flanagan said. Fire officials said the city’s office of the inspector general is heading the investigation. “We do not condone these actions,” said Fire Chief Phil Boriskie. “We view this as criminal and we will prosecute this to the fullest.” For his part, Boriskie said he was “personally angry, disappointed, embarrassed and bothered.” Boriskie cautioned that the perpetrator may not have been a firefighter. Flanagan, however, noted that only those with FAA clearance have access to the fire station, which is assigned to handle aircraft emergencies. City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones, who has called for zero tolerance in cases of racial infractions, today suggested the U.S. Justice Department might be better equipped to investigate the graffiti incident. “I think there is more than graffiti,” she said. “I absolutely have good reason to believe there may be retaliation for something.” Jones, who earlier applauded the allocation of money for fire department sensitivity training and urged that it be extended to other city departments, declined to comment further. Fire Capt. Otis Jordan, president of the Houston Black Firefighters Association, however, said that one of the women who made today’s discovery recently had filed a complaint regarding vandalism in Station 54’s women’s quarters. Jordan said the complaint concerned the disconnection of cold water in the women’s shower. Jordan also reported that someone had urinated in the sinks and against the walls of the women’s restroom. Fire department officials could not immediately be reached for comments regarding the allegations. Jordan described this morning’s incident as “the old traditional crap.” “We are not going to stand for our sisters — or a white female — being treated that way,” he said. “As long as they can do the job, we don’t care (that they’re women).” Speaking at a morning press conference at department headquarters, the Rev. James Nash, pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church, called for calm as the investigation continues. “There are factions out there in the community who want conflict,” he said. “Let the investigation take its course, let us see it’s solved in a way that’s not radical.” Conversely, black activist Deric Muhammad reiterated his call for Boriskie’s resignation. Muhammad first called on the chief to step down earlier this year as controversy blossomed over the discovery of an apparent noose in the locker of Capt. Keith Smith. Smith told city officials the rope was in reality a fisherman’s knot, which he had kept in honor of the firefighter who taught him to tie it. “Only strong leadership can root out the cancer of racism in the Houston Fire Department,” Muhammad said today. allan.turner@chron.com